I Do
by Operatic
Summary: When gay marriages are legalized in New York, Collins pops the question. CollinsAngel. Chapter 3 finally up! Sorry for the wait!
1. The Proposal

**I Do**

**This is going to be a slightly AU chapter fic…AU because homosexuals in New York can't marry (I don't think…feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). Also, obviously, Angel will be alive, because in the great wisdom of Wilson Jermaine Heredia, "We all know corpses don't cry…" nor do they marry.**

**I do not own Rent. Enjoy.**

**Oh, and I'm sorry for the crappy title. I honestly couldn't think of anything better.**

On Tuesday mornings, Roger Davis did not expect rude interruptions. Mark was usually out filming somewhere; Mimi was either a) not speaking to him, b) out with Angel or Maureen, or c) sleeping beside him. Collins was at work and Joanne had no reason to come over. Even Benny didn't start bothering him till well past noon.

So when a loud knock at the door awoke him at 11:00 AM, he was not happy. At all. He considered letting the rude person think no one was home. He was just about to go to sleep, when they knocked again, this time accompanied with a familiar voice.

"Mark, Roger! Open up! It's me!"

"Collins?" Roger mumbled into the pillow. He lazily rolled out of bed, yawning and scratching his head. He opened the door, only to be greeted by Collins, holding a bag. He had a newspaper under his arm and a gigantic smile on his face.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Roger asked sleepily, trying to figure out how the taller man could be so happy this early.

"Well, good morning to you, too!" Collins replied, though his voice held no upset.

"Seriously, though," Roger said, grinning and letting him in.

"I'm sick," Collins replied, faking a cough. He turned and sat down, placing the bag down.

"Where's Angel?" Roger asked. Usually the professor and his transvestite lover were inseparable. It was rare to see one without the other.

"That," Collins' smile seemed to grow larger, if at all possible. "Is why I'm here right now."

Roger gave him a strange look, and then opened the bag. He pulled out the 'Breakfast Tofu Burgers' (which he was quite sure were just regular tofu burgers, which were nasty in the first place) that were piled neatly inside.

"What's going on?" he asked. He knew Collins was a generally happy guy, but the fact that his smile hadn't changed at all for five minutes was slightly scaring him. "Everything okay?"

"Everything is GREAT!" Collins exclaimed, nearly knocking Roger off his feet.

"Okay…" he said, sitting down quickly.

"It happened!" Collins cried finally, happily biting into his burger.

"What?" Roger asked. What was 'It'? 'It' was a good thing, obviously. He'd been promoted? He won the lottery? Angel was pregnant? Well, maybe not that last one…

"Don't you read the newspaper?" Collins asked, the smile finally leaving his face.

"Generally not, no," Roger replied, eyeing the paper Collins started to unfurl. He turned it around, letting Roger get a look at it. He read the headline.

"_Madonna Tells All: The British Babe Reveals Her Secret For Fabulous Thighs,_" he read. "Why, Collins, I think you have marvelous thighs," he joked, smirking as the other man blushed a deep rouge.

"Not there," he mumbled, pointing at another article. "_There._"

"_Gay Marriages Proclaimed Legal,_" Roger read. His eyes widened, before letting out, "Oh, my God! This is great!"

"I know," Collins replied, the smile returning times ten. "They've been debating it for a few months…and I've been putting money away ever since, and, well…" he looked at his hands, the blush returning. "I'm buying a ring today."

Roger stared at him for a second before breaking into a smile.

"Tom…" he rarely used his first name, but he felt it was appropriate. "That's-"

"Hey, Hon!" Mimi exclaimed, bursting through the front door. She was quickly followed by Maureen, who went straight for the food bag.

Maureen was quickly followed by Angel. Collins' eyes widened and he quickly folded the newspaper up.

"Hey, baby…" Angel greeted him, a little confused. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I…" Tom stared at her, then at Roger. He grabbed his newspaper. "I gotta go! Bye, guys!" He kissed Angel quickly before running out the door.

Angel stared as the door slammed shut.

"What…"

"He's late," Roger said quickly. "He's, uh, he's late for work," he quickly finished off his burger and proceeded to act like nothing had happened. He could feel Angel's eyes on him.

"What is going on, Davis?" she asked, taking a step closer.

"Nothing!"

"Sounds like something," Maureen said, staring at the burger in disgust. "Y'know, they kill cows to make these things."

"They're tofu," Roger said. Maureen dropped the burger, making a face.

"Tofu…" Angel said. "Then Collins must have brought them."

"What's going on, Roger?" Mimi asked, poking the back of his head. Angel grinned as Roger squirmed, uncomfortable.

"Nothing! I swear, nothing!" He cried out. "Collins just had a free period, so he brought lunch over!"

"Breakfast Tofu Burgers for lunch?" Maureen asked, keeping her distance from the discarded burger.

"They're regular tofu burgers. They taste exactly the same," Roger replied, trying to change the subject around. "Really, Maureen, you should protest about that."

"Actually," the drama queen's eyes lit up. "I've got a protest in the works. Joanne doesn't like it, but what does she know? Here, let me tell you guys…"

The rest of the day was spent with Roger, Mimi, and Angel trying to tell Maureen why it was not a good idea to do a strip tease at her next protest (When Mark got home, he tried to encourage it, of course).

At 3:30, however, Angel figured she should get home to greet Collins. She bid good-bye to the others and left for home.

Angel was the jealous type, she admitted it. So when she discovered her lover not at work, when he should be at work, it set her imagination at work and she got worked up. She walked all the way home without one bounce in her step, her wringing, her imagination running away. What if…what if…

Oh, god…she never should have let him go to the Life alone that one time. That waiter always gave him looks…And he had some nerve, telling him his tofu dog would be up 'right away, sir!' She mocked his voice in her head. High-pitched, squeaky…like he was going through puberty! She sniggered cruelly, then kicked herself. The kid was fifteen - he probably was going through puberty. That ruled that one out…

Or what if it was another teacher at the university? He wouldn't…but he might! Another teacher, gay as well…among the realization, the two lovers swear to be together, loving each other in secret, lest their homophobic boss find out…it was the stuff great movies were made of!

She opened the door, finding their tiny apartment empty. She sat down on the couch, willing herself not to cry.

In every movie she'd ever seen, the bad guy was always the first lover.

She grabbed the pillow and hugged it, tears slipping down her face, ruining her make-up.

_Wait!_

If Collins was out with a teacher, why was he at Roger's?

Oh no.

They wouldn't DARE!

Her painted finger nails pressed into the pillow. No, she was being ridiculous. Roger loved Mimi.

But they did fight a lot.

But, still…Collins and Roger? Would they dare?

If Roger was trying to get back at Mimi for something, he might…but why would Collins do it to Angel? Was it because she accidentally put meat in his sandwich? Would that drive him to do something that drastic?

It might, she decided tearfully.

Oh, they were SO dead.

She contemplated calling Mimi, but found herself crying into the pillow instead. Her makeup was SO ruined, but at the moment she couldn't care less.

She heard the door open, and Collins' worried voice rang through.

"Angel? What's the matter, baby?"

"YOU'RE THE MATTER!" She cried, throwing the pillow at him. It bounced off his chest.

"What?" He asked, coming to kneel by the couch. "What do you mean, sweet?"

"You're SLEEPING with ROGER!" Angel exclaimed. Oops. She hadn't meant to tell him so fast. Oh well.

Collins stared at her, willing himself not to start laughing. Sleeping with ROGER?

"Um…Angel…" he said, sitting on the couch and taking her hand. "Where did you come up with this?"

"Why weren't you at work? Why were you at Roger's? It all makes sense, dear! The ecstatic look on your faces, your rush to leave…how long, Tom, How long?" She was crying openly, now, cursing herself for showing such weakness in front of Collins.

Tom stroked her back gently, trying to figure out how she came up with such an absurd idea.

"Angel, sweet…no. No." Collins told her, taking her chin in his hand. He forced his eyes into his own. "_No._"

Angel wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Then why weren't you at work?"

"I…" Collins sighed, placing his hand in his pocket and fingering the small box inside. "I had stuff to do."

"Like what?" Angel sniffed, a frown gracing her red lips. Collins smiled, trying to decide what to do.

"Like…" he pulled out the box and stared at it. "Like this," he showed her the box, his chest getting tight. Angel gave it a small glance.

"What's that?" She asked, her voice sounding interested.

Collins felt himself shaking. He knew he wanted to marry Angel, but…somehow, he never really envisioned this moment. He never imagined getting on one knee and asking her. Should he get on one knee? Or should he just ask the way they were?

_Steady, Tom, steady…_

"A-angel…" he started. This was harder than he thought it would be! He kissed her quickly. "I love you…"

"I love you too," Angel replied. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I shouldn't have accused you…"

Collins sighed, and kissed her again. Why was she making it so difficult?

"Angel," he held her hands in his. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you…no matter how short that may be…"

"Don't start talking like that…you'll make me cry again!" Angel half giggled, half sobbed.

"Angel," He opened the box, showing her what was inside. _Here goes…_ "Angel, now that we can….please…marry me…"

Angel stared into his eyes, then at the ring, then into his eyes again.

"What?"

"Angel, please. Say you'll be my wife, my husband, whatever you want to be, please…say you'll marry me…"

Angel fanned at her face in true diva fashion, trying to dry the tears that now trickled freely down her face.

Finally, she faced him, with a smile that rivaled the one Collins wore earlier.

"Yes!"

**Love it? Loathe it? Please tell me! **


	2. The Announcement

**I Do: Chapter 2**

**The Announcement**

**Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews! Really made my day. No, this will not be a one shot, and I hope you'll like it. Enjoy the second chapter! Also, I think I promised someone this would be up last weekend…I'm really, really sorry. I tried to write but I never got inspiration…however, after seeing the movie for the second time last night, it's ready to go!**

**I do not own Rent. But hey, only 4-6 weeks till the Rent bible arrives!**

"Yes!"

Collins felt his heart skip a beat or two, and before he knew it, he was on his back, being smothered in Angel kisses.

"Yes, Tom, yes!" Angel cried, finally letting him up for air. "Of course, I…oh my God, I can't believe this! Yes!"

Collins grinned, taking his hands and kissing him passionately. This was it. They were getting married. It was happening.

"I love you…" he whispered, kissing him again. "And you will not regret this…"

"Of course not, love..."

Collins had no idea what to say, so resorted to kissing him again. They stayed like that for a few moments until Angel broke away.

"Oh my God! We have to tell everyone! They'll be SO excited! Oh, and we can get a dress and a cake and a hall…and it'll be like when I used to play Barbies! …Mimi is going to FLIP! So will Maureen…"

Collins simply smiled as he listened to his lover- his fiancé ramble on excitedly.

"Come on, Collins! Let's go tell them!" Angel exclaimed, popping up from the couch and lunging for him discarded coat. Collins chuckled, kissing him sweetly, and then grabbing his own coat.

They walked hand-in-hand, talking excitedly and kissing. Everything was fine, until…

"Fags…" a woman muttered under her breath. Collins tried to urge him on, telling him to ignore the woman, but it was useless.

"Excuse me?" Angel asked, turning around to face her. Middle-aged, short, with a bad hair-do. "You want to repeat that?"

The woman stared defiantly at the drag queen for a moment, then said, "It was bad enough you queers were running around in the first place, but now you can get married…it's disgusting!" she cried out.

Collins' eyes narrowed and he grabbed hold of Angel's hand. His fiancé stepped forward.

"Hey," he cried. "Don't disrespect a sister, girl!" The woman gave her a strange look.

"What did you call me?" She asked, stepping closer so that they were face-to-face.

"Oh," Angel said, surprised. "You _are _a woman. Well, hon, I have some suggestions- get an open mind, a hair cut, and a tooth brush. That's disgusting," Angel cried just loud enough for the other people on the street to hear loud and clear. He wrinkled her nose as the woman stared at her, shocked. "Okay? Thanks!"

Collins had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing until the woman was far out of sight. Only then did they fall against each other, cracking up.

"Did you SEE her face?" Angel giggled, mocking the woman's slack mouth and wide eyes. Collins laughed uncontrollably.

"Serves her right!" he said between laughs. They finally arrived at the building.

"After you," he smiled as he was guided up the stairs quickly and toward Mark and Roger's loft. They stood outside the door, waiting for someone to open it. He could feel him shaking in excitement, and a wide smile was plastered on his face. He squeezed his hand.

"Hey," Mark said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you went home."

"I did!" Angel said, his voice quivering. "And now we're back."

"Okay…what's up?" He asked, letting them in. Roger and Mimi were snuggled on a chair together, while Joanne and Maureen were bickering, as usual.

"Hey guys," Mimi smiled. "Back so soon?"

"Well you know we can't stay away!" Angel grinned. He and Collins sat down together on the couch, Angel still shaking, a huge smile on Collins' face. Mark sat down again, and pretty soon the room was quiet.

"Well, this is nice…" Mark said finally, breaking the silence.

Angel and Collins exchanged a look, and Collins cleared his throat. He saw Roger sort of grin at him, and his smile only increased.

"We, uh…have something to tell you," he began, looking at his friends. Maureen gave them an almost interested look, Mimi stopped picking at her nail polish, and Mark looked up from his ever-present camera.

"Yes?" Roger asked, grinning at Collins. Mimi gave him a look.

"What?" She asked him, narrowing her eyes.

"What, what?" Roger asked, giving a weird look at the others.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Nothing!"

"What are you keeping from me, Roger Davis?" She asked, poking him again. Collins cleared his throat impatiently.

"Actually…" Collins interrupted.

"Sorry," Mimi replied sheepishly, poking Roger once more for good measure. Collins and Angel just grinned. The group stared at them expectantly, but they continued to grin out at them.

"Were…were you going to tell us today or tomorrow?" Mark asked, staring at them impatiently. The two men on the couch glanced at each other.

"Were you going to say…" Angel asked.

"Well, not unless you want to…"

"I'm too excited!" Angel giggled, taking his hand. "You say!"

Collins smiled. Maureen and Joanne were staring at them impatiently.

"Well," Collins laughed. Now he was excited! "Well, we…Angel and I are…you see…"

"We're getting MARRIED!" Angel cried out.

The group stared at them, jaws dropped.

"Sorry, hon…" Angel giggled as Collins pressed a kiss to his temple.

"Um…" Maureen said, for once at a loss for words. "You guys DO know that two men can't get married, right?"

"It's legal now!" Collins exclaimed happily. "It was in the paper today…"

"MAUREEN!" Joanne cried. "I TOLD you to save the paper today! I've been following that debate for months!"

"Relax, pookie, I saved it. It's got Madonna on it! That woman has the thighs of a goddess!"

Joanne let out a humph, then smiled at Angel and Collins. "Well, congratulations, you two. You should really go and get a license, you know, and set a date. And make all the necessary arrangements…"

"Can't you stop being stuffy for ONCE?" Maureen cried, running over and squishing onto the couch beside Angel. "It's a WEDDING!"

"Yeah!" Mimi exclaimed, squishing down on Angel's other side, succeeding in accidentally knocking Collins off. "There's so much to think about!" She gave Angel a hug, kissing his cheek. Maureen, not wanting to be left out, did the same. "Congratulations, Angel chica!"

"We'll need a dress," Maureen said excitedly. Mimi and Angel nodded.

"And flowers,"

"And a bridal shower!"

"And…"

"And…"

Collins grinned as the three of them chattered excitedly, the two women fussing over Angel like she was a new toy to play with.

"I'll do your hair!"

"I'll do your make up!"

"I'll--holy crap! Mimi, check it out!"

"Oh my God!" Mimi exclaimed, turning around and facing Collins. She held up Angel's hand, motioning to the ring. "VERY nice!"

Collins grinned. After awhile even Joanne was talking about the wedding, though she was of course adding more practical suggestions.

"Tom…" Mark said, patting his shoulder. "I…" Without another word, Mark's arms were around him.

"Awww…" Angel giggled, watching them.

"I never thought you'd be getting married…" Mark said, breaking apart. "Sorry, it's just…I never thought it would happen for you guys, you know?" He turned on his camera, filming the moment.

"Well, you know what this means, eh?" Roger asked, a grin suddenly forming on his face. Collins gave him a strange look.

"…What?" he asked, a little scared by the mischievous look on Roger's face. Suddenly, Mark's eyes widened, and his smile matched Rogers.

"You mean…" he asked.

"Yup…" Roger replied, grinning. "We get to throw a bachelor party!"

And before Collins could object, the two of them were talking about their own plans. Tom considered just letting them have their fun, but the second he heard the word 'stripper', he knew that it wouldn't work.

"Er…guys?" Collins asked, fighting back a laugh. Roger and Mark stared at him.

"Yeah?"

"Remember who I'm marrying."

The three men were silent for a moment.

"So…" Mark said finally, putting his camera down for a moment. "How do you host a gay bachelor party?"

However, before the boys could even begin to brainstorm, they were quite rudely interrupted.

"Maureen, you are NOT wearing a see-through dress!"

"Oh, why the hell not?"

"You'll steal the attraction! Not to mention, some whore will steal YOU!"

"Oh, so I'm a whore now, is that it?"

"That's NOT what I said!"

"I know when I've been insulted!" Maureen screamed, grabbing her coat. "Good bye, Joanne!" She paused at the door, and giggled and made a little, flirtatious wave. "Bye, Marky!" She shot Joanne a glare before stomping out the door.

The room fell completely silent for a moment. Mark flushed deeply. Joanne grabbed her coat.

"Congratulations, you two. MAUREEN!" She cried as she ran out the door. Collins simply rolled his eyes. Knowing them, they were probably making out in the hallway already. Mark blushed a deep scarlet.

"Well, I've got to get to work, any way…" Mimi sighed, checking the clock. "I am SO happy for you!" She hugged Angel again, and kissed Collins' cheek before leaving.

"So…" Mark said, holding his camera up to his face. "Can we get a shot of the ring?"

Angel's face brightened again, and he held out his hand. Mark zoomed in, making a whistling noise. Collins grinned and placed his arm around his shoulders. It was pretty simple, he knew, but was still very pretty. The band was thin, and adorned with a small jewel. Alright, it was very simple, but it was a hell of a lot better than some of the gaudy rocks some of the richer people wore.

And, besides, it put a smile on his Angel's face…and that was the important part.

Said Angel was currently explaining exactly how he'd been proposed to, putting pieces of hair behind his ear and showing off his ring as much as possible.

"…But of course, I knew there HAD to be a reason he was over here, right? But of course, I trust Tom, and so I didn't really think it would be anything TOO out of the ordinary, right? Well…"

Trust. He did trust him, right? Collins knew he had a jealous streak, but if anything it made him love him more. Still, he trusted him…right? Trust and love were the pillars of a good marriage, and without one, a marriage crumbles. He trusted him…

"…and, of course, I said yes!"

Collins smiled, and hugged him from behind. Trust. Love. There was love, any one with eyes could see. But you needed both…

The next hour or two seemed to go by exceptionally quickly, and before long, Angel was raising his left hand, yawning and showing off his ring at the same time.

"Tired, baby?" Collins asked, a small smile on his lips.

"Mmm…" Angel yawned again. "Maybe a _little_…"

Tom chuckled as the two of them bid Roger and Mark good night. They drew close to each other as they walked, the cold night air making them shiver. Collins didn't want to say anything, but the truth was, he still felt slightly troubled by Angel's distrust earlier. Today, he realized, was not a normal day. But sometimes, he just had to work late. Would he get such a confrontation every time? He let out a sigh as they reached their door. As Collins pulled out his key, Angel stopped him with a kiss.

"I love you, baby," he whispered, wrapping his arms around the taller man's neck. Collins smiled, then frowned. Angel cocked his head. "What's wrong?"

He sighed, cupping his face gently. "Do you trust me?"

"Hm?"

"It's just…" he sighed, his hand dropping to his waist. "It's just…earlier…"

"What?" Angel asked, genuinely confused. He looked so cute, and Collins forced his mind to stay on task.

"Just…sometimes, I'm going to have to come home late, or I'm going to go somewhere, and it's just…" He still looked confused, his dark Latino eyes wide. "It doesn't mean I'm cheating on you. You have to trust me."

Angel's eyes softened, and he smiled. "I do…honey, of course I do!"

Collins grinned as he envisioned Angel saying the same words, on their wedding day. He pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Promise?"

"Of course. Do you trust me?"

Collins laughed. "Angel, sometimes I think you're the only one I can trust!"

"Well, you too! I said I was sorry about this…can't we just…move on?" he gave him a sleepy smile. "I'm tired, sweet. I _trust _you understand that?"

Collins smiled, opening the door. Trust and marriage were the pillars of a good foundation. They had both.

Angel kissed him gently, gradually letting the passion mount.

This was promising to be a _very _good marriage.

**I can't believe I'm finally done the chapter! Oh, and just a thing about the timeline, this roughly takes place around January of the next year, so in movie terms, January 1991. However, its AU because not only will Angel be alive, but Benny will make an appearance or two. Also, if this chapter seems not that great, its because its currently 1:30 right now and I'm really trying to get this done before bed ;) Hope you enjoyed it, and chapter 3 should hopefully be up soon!**


	3. The Reassurance

**I Do: Chapter 3**

**First, I really want to apologize for the long wait on this. Hope it's worth it! I do not own Rent.**

When Tom Collins awoke the next morning, he expected to find his Angel in his arms, sleeping in as always.

However, this morning, he found that his fiancé had already gotten out of bed, leaving a gap beside him. Collins smiled sleepily, slipping on his boxers. He opened the door to their bedroom, half expecting to see his lover putting on a pot of coffee, or eating a piece of toast…

…And was greeted by Mimi, Maureen, Joanne, and Angel, discussing the only thing that had been on the young transvestite's mind since the night before.

"Morning, baby!" Angel cried. Collins turned red, and scurried into the bedroom to get dressed. As soon as he came back in, the four of them were back to chatting excitedly.

"No, no, gold for the dresses!" Maureen exclaimed. "They'll be all shiny, and attract tons of attention!"

"RED!" Mimi cried. "C'mon, red is HOT!"

Angel grinned and nodded at both of them, scribbling all the ideas furiously on a napkin. Joanne was silent, and Collins couldn't help but wonder if she was fighting with Mo—again.

"We can't have both…" Angel interrupted his thinking, staring at the napkin now covered in her giant, messy script.

"Dresses already?" Tom asked finally, and Angel looked up.

"There you are! I was wondering where you got to!" She jumped up and skipped over to her man, planting a kiss on his lips.

"Mmm.." Collins replied. She smiled widely up at him, cupping his cheek.

"Red or gold?" She asked him, motioning to the other women. "We really can't decide! Maureen wants gold, Mimi wants red, Joanne hates dresses and I'm in the middle of it all!" Angel smiled brightly, and he knew she didn't mind being in the middle one bit.

"For you?" He asked, staring at the kitchen table, where the performance artist and the dancer were chattering loudly, and the lawyer was sending a death glare to Maureen.

"No! The bridesmaid dresses, silly!" Angel giggled. "What do you think?"

Collins smiled at her, overjoyed at her enthusiasm. However, the sensible part of his brain just wouldn't stop nagging him.

"Well…I don't know, Angel baby. We've got time to figure that out. I mean we don't even have a license yet-"

"Oh, pooh!" Angel smiled. "We'll get one, we'll figure it out. But I've gotta get working on these dresses!"

"Wait…" Collins couldn't help but smile. "You were gonna make them?"

"Of course! I make all my own clothes, hon."

Collins pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're too good, you know that?"

"Thanks, dear…" She caught his lips with hers. "You're not too bad yourself, you know…"

"OH, IT WAS HARDLY FLIRTING!"

Collins and Angel were drawn out of their own little world by the familiar screaming of Maureen and Joanne. Mimi looked on helplessly as the two women stood face to face, swearing at each other.

"Right. How could you flirt, when your tongue was IN HER MOUTH!"

"You know, I don't have to deal with this!" Maureen screamed, grabbing her coat. "You think you can just, you can just control me, don't you? Fuck you!"

"Maureen!"

"There you go again! You can't just tell me what to do, like I'm some sorta dog, or something! I'm leaving!"

"Great! And you might as well find some other place to crash because you sure as hell aren't welcome at mine anymore!" Joanne hollered as the diva left the building.

The room was silent. Mimi, Angel and Collins watched as Joanne wiped the tears from her eyes, turning around to face them.

"I should go…"

"Wait, sweetie," Angel took her hand, leading her away from the door. "Do y'wanna talk about it…?"

Joanne put her head down, tears running down her face.

"You don't want to hear…"

"No, I do…" The young drag queen sat her down on the couch, putting her arm around the lawyer. "If you want to talk about it, we're here to listen."

"We're all here for you, Joanne," Mimi added, sitting down beside her.

Joanne sniffed, not facing anyone.

"She won't…" She looked down. "She won't marry me…"

Angel gave Mimi a sad look, then took Joanne's hand. "What?"

"She won't make a commitment. She won't be my wife. Hell, she won't even be my girlfriend!" She looked up finally, staring straight at Collins. "Look, I'm happy for you guys. Really, I am. It's just…I just wish I had what you have. With Maureen…I wish she loved me."

"Oh honey!" Angel cried, hugging her. "She does, you know she does! But you know Maureen…she'll settle down eventually, she will. And when she does…" She forced Joanne's eyes into hers. "She'll be lucky to have you. Honest."

Joanne tried to smile, but it came out as a sob. "That's a nice thought, Angel…"

"It's true!" Angel exclaimed. "I mean, who wouldn't be happy to have you? Your reliable, dependant, loyal, sweet, adorable…c'mon, hon, cheer up…"

"Angel's right!" Mimi cried, putting her arm around Joanne's other shoulder. "Maureen doesn't know what she's missing if she actually gives you up. I mean, look at you! You're smart successful, hot, you're a freaking steal!"

Joanne grinned. "Thanks…"

"She'll come around," Collins put in. Angel and Mimi nodded. "She's just…well, she's Mo. I've known her for years…but let me tell you, I've never seen her as happy as she is with you."

Joanne looked up. "But we're always fighting!"

"Believe it or not, but your fights are nothing compared to some of the others I've seen her get into. Yours are fairly tame. I mean, she hasn't thrown a plate at you, she hasn't started ugly rumors about you…"

Joanne's eyes widened. "A plate!"

Collins nodded. "It was a baaad fight. Just proves that you guys are stronger than that, right?"

Joanne nodded, looking thoughtful. "Still, how do you do it? You guys…you guys never fight!"

"Sure we do!" Angel assured her, rubbing her back. "We just don't let it get too out of hand." The lawyer nodded, obviously not too convinced. "All couples fight. Some more than others. It's natural! And, y'know, Maureen's gonna realize just how good she had it with you, and she's gonna come back."

"She just needs time," the dancer added. "Hey, if Roger were to ask me today, God knows I'm hardly ready! But it doesn't mean I don't love him."

Joanne nodded. "I guess that makes sense…" she said in a half-whisper, drying her eyes. "I better go…maybe…see if I can catch up to her…"

Angel nodded, kissing her cheek. "Everything will turn out in your favour, sweet. I promise."

Joanne sighed and sat up, grabbing her coat. She turned back, smiling.

"Thank you so much, guys…"

And with that, she was on her way.

"Wow," Mimi said, watching after her.

"I know," Angel agreed. "I feel so bad for her. But I really do think things will turn out for them, don't you?"

"It's Maureen and Joanne, of course it will," Collins agreed, taking Angel in his arms. "I mean, have they ever been in a fight for more than a day or so?"

"True," she agreed, sighing. "But still…"

"Shit!" Collins cried, breaking away.

"What?" Mimi exclaimed, alarmed.

"I'm gonna be late…I can't miss another day…"

Angel nodded sadly, kissing his cheek. "See you tonight?"

"Of course," Collins grinned. He ran to get washed, doing so in record time. He kissed Angel's lips and waved good bye to Mimi. "Have fun, ladies!"

"We will!" Angel chuckled, watching her love run out the door. As soon as the door was closed, she bounced back to Mimi. "Well, should we continue our planning, honey?"

The young woman shrugged, sighing. "Maureen'll kill us if we make any decisions without her consent."

"True," Angel replied thoughtfully. "And we should probably get Collins' opinion, too. I mean, I am sort of marrying him."

The dancer continued to stare into space, leaving the drummer to only wonder what might be on her mind.

"Earth to Mimi Marquez! You okay, honey?"

"Huh?" Mimi asked, looking up. "Oh, yeah…" She grinned. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure!" Angel said cheerfully. "What's up?" Mimi sighed, staring at her hands. Angel took the hint. "Oh, sweetie, what did Roger do this time?"

"It's not him!" Mimi exclaimed, shaking her head. "Well…it sort of is. It's more you."

"Me?" the transvestite asked in surprise. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, not at all!" Mimi cried. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just…I dunno!" She sighed. "Forget it, okay?"

"No, no, no, no, no," Angel said quickly, taking her hands. "Tell me. C'mon, chica, I'm your best friend! If you can't tell me…"

"It's just…Joanne's right. You guys don't fight. And as adorable as it is…" Mimi giggled as Angel blushed. "I just can't help wondering how you do it. I mean, things are great between me and Roger now. Better than ever. And now you guys…damn, girl, you're getting married! My Angel-chica's getting married! And it's no big surprise, either, cuz you guys have always had a really strong relationship. So I guess…" She grinned. "How do you guys spend, like, all the time together without hating each other? I mean, I love Roger a lot, but we both need our space!"

Angel furrowed her brow, thinking.

"Hmm…" she stared down at the old carpet with the ugly pattern. "I gotta tell you, hon, that's one question I have absolutely no idea how to answer. I mean…I'm not gonna tell you it's because we love each other desperately and can't stand to be away from each other, or anything, cuz it's just not true. I mean, we do!…It's just not the reason. You following, sweetie?" Mimi nodded. "I guess we're just…making the most of it. I mean…we…we know we don't have forever. So, I guess we're just trying to spend as much time together as we can. I mean, we don't want to be apart from each other…but it was clear from the beginning that that's how it was going to be. And honey, we do fight, really. But if we let that get in the way of things, we'd be shortening our time together. Does that help, dear?"

Mimi nodded, smiling.

"I think I get it…" she said slowly.

"And don't worry. Even though I know you don't feel it yet…" Angel smiled, taking both of her friend's hands. "I know, both you and Mo will come around, and when the time comes, you're gonna be a beautiful bride."

Mimi grinned, looking up.

"You really think so?"

"Honey, I know so! You're gonna be fab-u-lous!"

They burst into a fit of giggles, Mimi's smile larger than ever. "Thanks, girl."

They laughed for a few more minutes, until Angel perked up. "Oh! I almost forgot!"

"What?"

"I meant to ask you something! Mimi, I haven't been to many weddings myself…but every time a character on a soap gets married, they have a maid of honor. And since you're my oldest and best friend, I thought maybe…"

"Oh my God!" Mimi interrupted her. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah!" Angel smiled, bouncing in her seat excitedly. "So will you?"

"Do you even have to ask!" Mimi asked, her smile even larger if at all possible. "Of course!"

"Great!" Angel cried, hugging her best friend. "We made some progress today!"

They broke away, smiling in barely contained excitement.

"Now if only we could decide on the dress colors…"

**If your wondering why this is so late, blame LJ. Between speedrent and theatricalmuse (which, by the way, has many, many Rent characters available…-hint, hint-) I've been totally busy. Oh, and blame the Rent bible, too. Also, did anyone else think it was totally OOC for Maureen to say yes to Joanne in the movie? I just can't see her being so willing to commit. Anyway, if chap. 4 gets out any slower than this chapter did, feel free to hurt me. **


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